Belize Fly Fishing Guides - Turneffe Flats Belize
Belize Fly Fishing Guides atTurneffe Flats are the best fishing guides in Belize. With years of experience and intimate knowledge of Turneffe Atoll, it is easy to see why our fishing guides have many return anglers year after year.
OUR GUIDES
Dubs Young
Dubs is the consummate professional guide who does everything well and with ease. He comes from a family of fishermen, with his first guiding opportunity in 1983, when a local lodge manager came to Dubs' father. The older Mr. Young was too busy, but suggested his 16 year-old son for the day. He did so well that he has been working as a guide at Turneffe ever since. Dubs loves hunting for feeding permit and with his easy going, friendly personality, it’s a pleasure to spend the day with him.
Dion Young
Dion grew up commercial fishing at Turneffe Atoll with his father and older brother, Dubs. He has been guiding fly anglers at Turneffe for more than two decades and says that his favorite part about fishing is being with the guests. Dion loves to fish for tarpon and permit and says he is always impressed by the size and strength of tarpon. In addition to fishing, Dion loves basketball and spending time with his wife and two beautiful daughters.
Mark Hyde
Mark comes from a family of guides and began his guiding career many years ago at Turneffe Flats. He spent a couple of successful years as an independent guide and we are pleased to have Mark back at Turneffe Flats. Known as one of the premier guides in Belize, Mark handles all aspects of guiding with ease and competence. His calm, pleasant demeanor makes days on the water a great experience. He is an excellent caster and enjoys teaching his clients the fine points of saltwater fishing.
Daniel Bennett
Daniel grew up in Belize City, where he learned to operate boats at an early age. He began working at Turneffe Flats as a teenager and has been one of our go-to guides for 15 years. An excellent caster and teacher, Daniel takes his guiding very seriously. His patience is a great asset when either helping novice anglers or assisting experienced anglers improve their casting. When not guiding, Daniel loves to fish for tarpon. Daniel is also one of our best boat captains and frequently helps with guest services.
John Gongora
John's easygoing approach, sense of humor, and ability to find fish consistently result in a great experience for our guests. He is comfortable with beginners and expert anglers alike, and enjoys spending time teaching clients the details that will help them catch more fish. An experienced divemaster, John occasionally leads dive groups as well. These days, however, he spends ninety percent of his time poling the flats in search of bonefish, permit and tarpon.
Winston "Pops" Cabral
Pops has been guiding for Turneffe Flats since 1987. Prior to that he guided elsewhere in Belize. Pops began working with his family as a commercial fisherman at Turneffe Atoll at age 14 and remembers spending holidays on a small caye at the south tip of Turneffe. Pops is passionate about his bonefishing and has helped develop a number of well-known bonefish flies including the "Pops Bonefish Bitters." Guiding is special for Pops and he takes his fishing seriously. He enjoys the wide variety of fishing at Turneffe including permit and tarpon fishing.
Alton Jeffords
Alton has lived and worked at Turneffe for nearly 20 years. For 17 years prior to joining the Turneffe Flats team, he worked as a boat captain, guide and manager at the Oceanic Society’s Turneffe Atoll field station. During that time, Alton oversaw numerous conservation research projects, working with thousands of students and volunteers. Alton knows every corner of Turneffe Atoll and his pleasant, easygoing manner, scientific knowledge and love of fishing make Alton a great addition to the Turneffe Flats guide team.
Ed Diaz
Ed grew up in San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye where he earned his credentials as a tour guide and dive master as a teenager. After finishing high school, he received a scholarship to the University of Belize where he hoped to study engineering. Financial obstacles intervened and he was forced to forgo his education and earn a living. Ed worked as a fishing guide and Dive Instructor on Ambergris Caye and was originally hired as a Dive Instructor at Turneffe Flats, However, his real passion is flats fishing, and Ed has become one of our top flats guides complementing our excellent guide staff. He particularly enjoys permit and tarpon fishing, but also likes teaching new anglers the ropes of flats fishing.
Angel Marin
Angel has a long and interesting association with Turneffe Atoll and Turneffe Flats. Turneffe Flats was originally his father’s (“Juni” Marin’s) lobster fishing camp. Juni became one of our founding shareholders and Angel more or less grew up at Turneffe. After receiving his first fly rod from Craig at age 8, he learned to fly fish and was running one of his father’s boats around Turneffe by age 10. After finishing school, Angel worked in various tourism-related management positions throughout Belize. In 2022 he decided to pursue his passion – guiding - and joined our staff as a Boat Captain and Guide. His pleasant, easy-going personality in addition to an unmatched knowledge of the Atoll, made Angel one of our top guides from the start. Aside from his father, no one knows Turneffe any better.
Chris Encalada
Chris grew up in Belize City and from age 14 spent most of his time helping his father with commercial fishing at Turneffe. Chris learned to fly fish at an early age and started guiding when he was 16. He loves poling for permit and landing big tarpon. An excellent caster, he also enjoys teaching people how to fly fish. Chris has 20+ years of fly fishing experience at Turneffe Atoll and we are happy to have him on our staff.
Eddie Hyde (Retired) Eddie guided anglers at Turneffe Flats for more than 20 years before retiring in 2018. He lives in Cotton Tree Village with his wife Eleanor, who was Head Cook at Turneffe Flats for many years. Eddie stays busy with his farm near Cotton Tree and has many relatives nearby including his son, Mark, who still guides at Turneffe.
Willie Dyer (Retired)
One of the first guides on Turneffe Atoll, Willie guided at Turneffe Flats from 1987 to 2020. Prior to his guiding career, Willie worked as a commercial fisherman based out of his hometown Belize City. His calm demeanor as well as his vast knowledge of Turneffe Atoll was invaluable for anglers of all skill levels. Willie has retired to Placencia village in Southern Belize.